How popular is the baby name Stephanie in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Find out using the graph below! Plus, check out all the blog posts that mention the name Stephanie.
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Philadelphia native Grace Kelly appeared in her first movie in 1951. By 1955, she had become one of the biggest box-office draws in the nation. But she gave up her career as an actress to assume the role of a princess in 1956 when she married the ruler of Monaco.
I know of five baby names (so far) that got a boost thanks to Grace Kelly…
Grace
First thing’s first: Grace Kelly’s first name, Grace. It saw a two-year uptick in the mid-’50s:
1959: 1,660 baby girls named Grace [rank: 204th]
1958: 1,708 baby girls named Grace [rank: 198th]
1957: 1,917 baby girls named Grace [rank: 186th]
1956: 1,837 baby girls named Grace [rank: 189th]
1955: 1,390 baby girls named Grace [rank: 216th]
1954: 1,410 baby girls named Grace [rank: 213th]
Decades later, it would peak in the rankings at 13th place for two years in a row (2003 and 2004).
Kelly
The rise of Kelly can’t be attributed to a single factor, as we saw yesterday. That said, I have no doubt that Grace Kelly played a part in feminizing the first name Kelly during the 1950s:
1959: 6,379 baby girls named Kelly [rank: 74th]
1958: 4,471 baby girls named Kelly [rank: 108th]
1957: 1,907 baby girls named Kelly [rank: 187th]
1956: 831 baby girls named Kelly [rank: 310th]
1955: 540 baby girls named Kelly [rank: 380th]
1954: 455 baby girls named Kelly [rank: 406th]
Grace Kelly’s paternal grandparents were Irish immigrants. The Irish surname Kelly can have several possible origins, but a common one is the Ó Ceallaigh, “descendant of Ceallach.” The meaning of the personal name Ceallach isn’t known for certain — some sources say “bright-headed,” others say it comes from a word meaning “war,” or a different word meaning “church.”
In 1968, the name Kelly saw peak usage on the boys’ list (97th) and then-peak usage on the girls’ list (12th). In 1977, thanks to the Charlie’s Angels character, it bounced back to reach an even higher peak for girls (10th).
Lizanne
Grace’s little sister Elizabeth “Lizanne” Kelly married Donald LeVine in Philadelphia in June of 1955. The same year, the baby name Lizanne debuted on the charts:
1959: 32 baby girls named Lizanne
10 born in Pennsylvania
1958: 39 baby girls named Lizanne [peak]
13 born in Pennsylvania
1957: 36 baby girls named Lizanne
10 born in Pennsylvania
1956: 32 baby girls named Lizanne
9 born in Pennsylvania
1955: 15 baby girls named Lizanne [debut]
1954: unlisted
Notice how the usage of Lizanne in the late ’50s was particularly high in Pennsylvania. It was the same through most of the ’60s as well.
Rainier
Grace married Rainier III, the Prince of Monaco, in a lavish wedding in Monaco in April of 1956. The same year, the baby name Rainier debuted on the charts:
1959: unlisted
1958: unlisted
1957: 7 baby boys named Rainier
1956: 11 baby boys named Rainier [debut]
1955: unlisted
1954: unlisted
The name Rainier is ultimately based on the Germanic words ragin, meaning “advice, decision, counsel,” and hari, meaning “army.”
(The six bridesmaids at the wedding were named Bettina, Carolyn, Judith, Maree, Rita — actress Rita Gam — and Sally.)
Caroline
Grace and Rainier had three children: Caroline, Albert, and Stephanie. The births of the latter two didn’t seem to have an effect on U.S. baby names, but the birth of Caroline in January of 1957 did give Caroline a bump that year:
1959: 1,046 baby girls named Caroline [rank: 273rd]
1958: 990 baby girls named Caroline [rank: 282nd]
1957: 1,135 baby girls named Caroline [rank: 253rd]
1956: 702 baby girls named Caroline [rank: 329th]
1955: 743 baby girls named Caroline [rank: 315th]
1954: 770 baby girls named Caroline [rank: 304th]
Toward the end of 1957, John and Jacqueline Kennedy — who were still several years away from becoming President and First Lady — also welcomed a daughter named Caroline. They didn’t get the idea from Grace Kelly, though. Caroline Kennedy was named after her maternal aunt, Caroline Lee Radziwill.
Singer Ciara [pron. see-AIR-ah] explaining how she got her name (People):
My mom was trying to figure out my name when my dad bought her a fragrance called Ciara by Revlon. That’s where my name came from!
(The perfume name, according to the television commercials, was pronounced see‑AHR‑ah.)
Elon Musk explaining how Tesla Motors got its name (Elon Musk):
[W]e didn’t actually come up with the Tesla Motors name. Bought trademark off Brad Siewert for $75k in late 2004. He’d originally filed for it in 1994. Our alternative name was Faraday, which was used by a competitor several years later.
About a woman who married a carnival ride named Bruce (Daily Mail):
Most women look for a handsome, successful, dependable man to be their husband.
But Linda Ducharme, of Tampa, Florida, has decided to forgo relationships with men for those with metal.
The 56-year-old is ‘happily married’ to a skydiver carnival [ride] called Bruce – as she is sexually attracted to objects.
‘His name is Bruce and we’ve know each other since 1981,’ she said.
(You know you’re obsessed with names when your first question upon reading about this woman is: “I wonder why she chose the name Bruce?”)
About crafting names for San Francisco’s high-end condo towers (Modern Luxury):
Perusing high-end real estate literature these days is like reading the cubby signage at a Pacific Heights preschool. At the foot of the Bay Bridge, there’s the Jasper, a 400-foot-tall skyscraper by real estate developer Crescent Heights. Off Van Ness, you’ll run into the Austin, a shiny condo building from Pacific Eagle. And on Harrison Street awaits, well, the Harrison, with its private penthouse lounge, Uncle Harry’s. The trend of monikering luxury dwellings as though they were Ralph Lauren linen collections has hit San Francisco big-time, with the Ashton, the Avalon, and their ilk taking the place of yesteryear’s Paramount and Bel Air.
About British professional boxer Tyson Fury (The Guardian):
Yep, he is named after Mike Tyson, and yep, Tyson Fury is a perfect name for a boxer. Fury was born prematurely and only weighed one pound. “The doctors told me there was not much chance of him living,” said his father, John Fury. “I had lost two daughters in the same way who had been born prematurely. They told me there was not much hope for him. It was 1988, Mike Tyson was in his pomp as world heavyweight champion, and so I said, ‘Let’s call him Tyson’. The doctors just looked at me and smiled.”
About the recent celebrity baby name Indigo Blue (UPI):
French star SoKo is a new mom.
The 33-year-old singer and actress, born Stéphanie Sokolinski, took to Instagram Monday after giving birth to a daughter, Indigo Blue Honey.
SoKo shared a photo of herself kissing her baby girl’s foot. She said she named her daughter after The Clean song “Indigo Blue.”
About Marguerite Annie Johnson becoming Maya Angelou, from the book Maya Angelou: “Diversity Makes for a Rich Tapestry” by Donna Brown Agins:
Barry [Drew] signed Marguerite to a three-month contract performing as a Cuban calypso singer at the Purple Onion. He suggested that she change her name to something more exotic. She decided to use to childhood name, Maya. For added dramatic effect, she changed her married name, Angelos, to Angelou.
(Before she was a writer, she was a singer/dancer! This was news to me. The childhood nickname Maya came from her brother, who called her “Mya Sister.”)
About Malaysian sisters named Malaysia, Mayday and Mardeka (Malay Mail):
Mayday’s name pick also went through a similar spur-of-the moment decision, when Victoria was in labour.
“It was less than 24 hours to go before I had to go into labour and I looked at Kamalul and said we are going to have a baby girl soon and we have yet to decide on her name.
“At that point he was reading a historical book about Cold War and was at the part of the story where a plane was going down and an American pilot scream Mayday. He suddenly asked me why not we name her Mayday?” Victoria said with a big smile recalling the moment.
The couple immediately agreed on it since they wanted all their daughters name to start with the pronunciation of “Ma”.
About Cornell University’s two corpse flowers, named Wee Stinky and Carolus (14850.com):
Wee Stinky is named for the spot on the Cornell campus known as the Wee Stinky Glen, near the Cornell Store, that used to have a distinct odor. Carolus was named after Carolus Linnæus, the 18th Century Swedish botanist who laid the foundations of the modern biological naming system known as binomial nomenclature, says Ed Cobb, research support specialist in the Plant Biology Section of the School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “It’s also in honor of Carol Bader, the greenhouse grower who nurtured these plants for nearly ten years, but passed away before they bloomed.”
Nahaku
Nahaku was a character played by actress Helen Lindroth in the short film The Dance of Death (1914).
Naida
Naida Lessing was an actress who appeared in 1 film in 1918. Naida was also a character name in multiple films, including The Jungle Lovers (short, 1915) and A Cafe in Cairo (1924).
Nalu
Nalu was a character played by actress Ramsay Ames in the film Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (1944).
Nan
Nan Christy was an actress who appeared in films in the 1910s. She was born in 1894. Nan was also a character name in multiple films, including Nan’s Victory (short, 1914) and Nan of the North (1922).
Natcha
Natcha Manyus was a character played by actress Claudia Dell in the film The Lost City (1935).
Natchi
Natchi was a character played by actress Carmen Phillips in the film The Great Circus Mystery (1925).
Natoosa
Natoosa was a character played by actress Mary Charleson in the short film Natoosa (1912).
Natrova
Natrova was a character played by actress Milada Mladova in the film Escape Me Never (1947).
Naturich Naturich was a character played by actress Red Wing (Lillian St. Cyr) in the film The Squaw Man (1914), by Ann Little in The Squaw Man (1918), and by Lupe Velez in The Squaw Man (1931).
Nauma
Nauma was a character played by actress Princess Uwane Yea in the film The Heart of Wetona (1919).
Navarre
Navarre King was a character played by actress Sally Eilers in the film Broadway Babies (1929).
Nayda
Nayda was a character played by actress Rita Hayworth in the film Charlie Chan in Egypt (1935).
Nazama
Nazama was a character played by actress Binnie Barnes in the film The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938).
Nazimova
Alla Nazimova, often credited simply as Nazimova, was an actress who appeared in films from the 1910s to the 1940s. She was born in Russia (now Ukraine) in 1879. Her birth name was Miriam Edez Adelaida Leventon. Alla was also a character played by actress Sally Crute in the film The Cossack Whip (1916).
Nea
Nea was a character played by actress Dona Drake in the film Aloma of the South Seas (1941).
Neleta
Neleta was a character played by actress Steffi Duna in the film Anthony Adverse (1936).
Nelga
Nelga Petrona was a character played by actress Julia Swayne Gordon in the short film The Tigress (1915).
Nell
Nell Craig was an actress who appeared in films from the 1910s to the 1940s. She was born in New Jersey in 1891. Nell Shipman was an actress who appeared in films from the 1910s to the 1920s. She was born in Canada in 1892. Her birth name was Helen Foster-Barham. Nell was also a character name in multiple films, including The Reward of Thrift (short, 1914) and Nell Gwyn (1926).
Nennah
Nennah was a character played by actress Ynez Seabury in the film The Calgary Stampede (1925).
Neola
Neola May was an actress who appeared in films from the 1910s to the 1930s. She was born in California in 1891. Neola was also a character played by actress Betty Schade in the short film Olana of the South Seas (1914).
Netta
Netta Westcott was an actress who appeared in films from the 1910s to the 1940s. She was born in England in 1893. Netta was also a character played by actress Linda Darnell in the film Hangover Square (1945).
Nini
Nini Theilade was an actress who appeared in films in the 1930s. She was born in Indonesia in 1915. Nini was also a character played by actress Barbara Bedford in the film Gleam O’Dawn (1922).
Nirvena
Nirvena was a character played by actress Stephanie Bachelor in the film Lady of Burlesque (1943).
Nista
Nista was a character played by actress Caroline Frances Cooke in the film The Devil Bear (1929).
Nita
Nita Naldi was an actress who appeared in films in the 1920s. She was born in New York in 1894. Her birth name was Mary Nonna Dooley. Nita was also a character name in multiple films, including Jane Goes A’ Wooing (1919) and Two Gun Sheriff (1941).
Soava GalloneOn the hunt for a rare girl name with a retro feel?
Here’s a big batch of uncommon female S-names that are associated in some way with early cinema (i.e., each is either a character name or an actress name).
For those that have had enough usage to appear in the national data, I’ve included links to popularity graphs.
*
Saba
Saba Raleigh was an actress who appeared in films from the 1910s to the 1920s. She was born in England in 1867. Her birth name was Isabel Pauline Ellissen. Saba was also a character played by actress Myrta Bonillas in the film The Claw (1927).
Sabra Sabra de Shon was an actress who appeared in one film in 1915. She was born in Massachusetts in 1850. Sabra was also a character name in multiple films, including Cimarron (1931) and A Man Betrayed (1941).
Salka
Salka Steuermann was an actress who appeared in films from the 1910s to the 1920s. She was born in Austria-Hungary (now Ukraine) in 1889. Her birth name was Salomea Steuermann.
Sallie
Sallie McPherson was a character played by actress Wanda Hawley in the film Double Speed (1920).
Salomy
Salomy was a character name in multiple films, including Salomy Jane (1914) and Wild Girl (1932).
Salti
Salti was a character played by actress Beatie Olna Travers in the film A Romance of Old Baghdad (1922).
Samanthy
Samanthy was a character name in multiple films, including The Uneven Balance (short, 1914) and The Lonesome Heart (1915).
Samaran
Samaran was a character played by actress Julia Faye in the film Fool’s Paradise (1921).
Sanchia
Sanchia Percival was a character played by actress Dorinea Shirley in the film Open Country (1922).
Sari
Sari Maritza (SHA-ree MAR-ee-tsa) was an actress who appeared in films in the 1930s. She was born in China in 1910. Her birth name was Patricia Detering-Nathan. Sari was also a character name in multiple films, including The Virgin of Stamboul (1920) and The Stolen Bride (1927).
Shireen
Shireen was the name two characters — a mother and a daughter played by actresses Virginia Brown Faire and Patsy Ruth Miller, respectively — in the film Omar the Tentmaker (1922).
Usage of the baby name Shireen (which debuted in the data the year after Omar the Tentmaker came out).
Shirlene
Shirlene May was a character played by actress Gale Robbins in the film The Barkleys of Broadway (1949).
Sigrid
Sigrid Holmquist was an actress who appeared in films in the 1920s. She was born in Sweden in 1899. Sigrid was also a character name in multiple films, including Transatlantic (1931) and I Remember Mama (1948).
Soava
Soava Gallone was an actress who appeared in films from the 1910s to the 1930s. She was born in Poland in 1880. Her birth name was Stanislawa Winawerowna.
Sofonisba
Sofonisba was a character played by actress Italia Almirante-Manzini in the film Cabiria (1914).
Soledad
Soledad Jiménez was an actress who appeared in films from the 1920s to the 1950s. She was born in Spain in 1874.
Sookey
Sookey was a character played by actress Heather Angel in the film Self Made Lady (1932).
Sophronia
Sophronia was a character played by actress Bessie Eyton in the film Lend Me Your Name (1918). It was also a character (nicknamed Phronsie) in the Little Peppers films of the early ’40s.
Stacia
Stacia de Napierkowska was an actress who appeared in films from the 1900s to the 1920s. She was born in France in 1886. Her birth name was Renée Claire Angèle Élisabeth Napierkowski.
Stascha
Stascha was a character played by actress Marlene Dietrich in the film Three Loves (1929).
Steena
Steena Iverson was a character played by actress Dot Farley in the short film Mrs. Gay Life’s Visitors (1911).
Steenie
Steenie was a character played by actress Dorothy Kelly in the short film Rip Van Winkle (1912).
Steffi
Steffi Duna was an actress who appeared in films from the 1930s to the 1940s. She was born in Hungary in 1910. Her birth name was Stephanie Berindy.
Sul-Te-Wan
Madame Sul-Te-Wan was an actress who appeared in films from the 1910s to the 1950s. She was born in Kentucky in 1873. Her birth name was Nellie Conley.
Sumurun
Sumurun was a character played by actress Jenny Hasselquist in the film Sumurun (1920).
Sunbeam
Sunbeam was a character played in multiple films, including The Sunbeam (short, 1912) and The Coming of Sunbeam (short, 1913).
Sunday
Sunday Wilshin was an actress who appeared in films from the 1920s to the 1930s. She was born in England in 1905. Her birth name was Sundae Mary Aline Horne-Wilshin.
Sunnie
Sunnie O’Dea was an actress who appeared in films from the 1930s to the 1940s. She was born in Pennsylvania in 1918. Her birth name was Martha Bonini.
The ratio of Biblical names to non-Biblical names in the girl’s top 20 is about the same today as it was 100 years ago, though the ratio did change a bit mid-century.
(In contrast, there’s been a steady increase in the number of Biblical-origin names among the top boy names.)
Here’s the color-coded table — Biblical names are in the yellow cells, non-Biblical names are in the green cells, and several borderline names (which I counted as non-Biblical) are in the orange cells:
Popular girl names over time: Biblical (yellow) vs. non-Biblical. Click to enlarge.
Ava (could be based on the Germanic root avi or the Biblical name Eve)
Jessica (literary invention, but Shakespeare may have based it on the Biblical name Iscah)
Samantha (possibly inspired by the Biblical name Samuel)
Again, feels pretty weird to put overtly Christian names like Christina and Christine in the non-Biblical category, but oh well.
Here are the year-by-year tallies:
Year
Top 20 names given to…
# Biblical
# Non-Biblical
1914
31% of baby girls
6 (30%)
14 (70%)
1924
31% of baby girls
7 (35%)
13 (65%)
1934
32% of baby girls
9 (45%)
11 (55%)
1944
35% of baby girls
8 (40%)
12 (60%)
1954
34% of baby girls
9 (45%)
11 (55%)
1964
24% of baby girls
9 (45%)
11 (55%)
1974
24% of baby girls
8 (40%)
12 (60%)
1984
26% of baby girls
6 (30%)
14 (70%)
1994
19% of baby girls
6 (30%)
14 (70%)
2004
14% of baby girls
6 (30%)
14 (70%)
2014
12% of baby girls
5 (25%)
15 (75%)
Just like with the boy names, though, there’s a big difference between the 1914 and 2014 sample sizes — 31% and 12%. So let’s also look at the 2014 top 100, which covers 31% of female births.
By my count, last year’s top 100 girl names were about a quarter Biblical, three-quarters non-Biblical:
27%-73% is remarkably similar to both 25%-75% (smaller 2014 sample) and 30%-70% (1914 sample).
So here’s the question of the day: If you had to choose all of your children’s names from either one group or the other — Biblical names or non-Biblical names — which group would you stick to, and why?
Need a rare, retro N-name?
